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If EPS Growth Is Important To You, Diploma (LON:DPLM) Presents An Opportunity

Investors are often guided by the idea of discovering 'the next big thing', even if that means buying 'story stocks' without any revenue, let alone profit. Unfortunately, these high risk investments often have little probability of ever paying off, and many investors pay a price to learn their lesson. While a well funded company may sustain losses for years, it will need to generate a profit eventually, or else investors will move on and the company will wither away.

Despite being in the age of tech-stock blue-sky investing, many investors still adopt a more traditional strategy; buying shares in profitable companies like Diploma (LON:DPLM). While profit isn't the sole metric that should be considered when investing, it's worth recognising businesses that can consistently produce it.

View our latest analysis for Diploma

How Quickly Is Diploma Increasing Earnings Per Share?

If a company can keep growing earnings per share (EPS) long enough, its share price should eventually follow. That means EPS growth is considered a real positive by most successful long-term investors. Diploma managed to grow EPS by 12% per year, over three years. That's a good rate of growth, if it can be sustained.

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Top-line growth is a great indicator that growth is sustainable, and combined with a high earnings before interest and taxation (EBIT) margin, it's a great way for a company to maintain a competitive advantage in the market. EBIT margins for Diploma remained fairly unchanged over the last year, however the company should be pleased to report its revenue growth for the period of 29% to UK£1.0b. That's a real positive.

The chart below shows how the company's bottom and top lines have progressed over time. For finer detail, click on the image.

earnings-and-revenue-history
earnings-and-revenue-history

Fortunately, we've got access to analyst forecasts of Diploma's future profits. You can do your own forecasts without looking, or you can take a peek at what the professionals are predicting.

Are Diploma Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

Insider interest in a company always sparks a bit of intrigue and many investors are on the lookout for companies where insiders are putting their money where their mouth is. Because often, the purchase of stock is a sign that the buyer views it as undervalued. However, insiders are sometimes wrong, and we don't know the exact thinking behind their acquisitions.

Belief in the company remains high for insiders as there hasn't been a single share sold by the management or company board members. But the bigger deal is that the company insider, Barbara Gibbes, paid UK£112k to buy shares at an average price of UK£32.56. Strong buying like that could be a sign of opportunity.

Does Diploma Deserve A Spot On Your Watchlist?

One positive for Diploma is that it is growing EPS. That's nice to see. Not every business can grow its EPS, but Diploma certainly can. Despite there being a solitary insider adding to their holdings, it's enough to consider adding this to the watchlist. You should always think about risks though. Case in point, we've spotted 1 warning sign for Diploma you should be aware of.

The good news is that Diploma is not the only growth stock with insider buying. Here's a list of them... with insider buying in the last three months!

Please note the insider transactions discussed in this article refer to reportable transactions in the relevant jurisdiction.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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